United Way Hastings and Prince Edward officials are hoping Local Love will help reach its 2018 campaign goal of $2 million. The organization announced its 2018 goal at Kindness Court in the Quinte Mall Thursday morning and executive director Kathy Murphy said United Way officials are confident the 60th anniversary campaign, dubbed Local Love, will be able to return to a $2 million goal. “We’ve had a slight decrease in reaching our goal the last couple of years, but this is 60 years and the need is so high in the community,” she said. “Last year we turned down about $300,000 in requests for really unique social and health programs and we don’t want to do that again this year. We’re going to push it out and get to that $2 million mark again — we’ve done it before.” United Way HPE currently supports 36 partner agencies offering more than 70 programs in the community. One of those agencies is Belleville-based Continuing on in Education (COED), a community-based day program that promotes independence and inclusion to adults with disabilities. Mary Hartling, a board member with COED, told the crowd the story of her sister Janet Johnston, a 42-year-old Belleville women with Down’s Syndrome. She said United Way’s funding of the agency helps her sister carry out her daily activities. “She is 42-years-old and went to school here in Belleville in the public system,” she said. (Janet) volunteers here in the community with the Cancer Society, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Firefighters’ Toy Drive and the Good Food Box. “She has a best friend, Amy… she went to the Blue Jays game this summer, she went on a cruise, visited the casino, loves coming to the mall. She has a sunny smile, a great sense of humour, is very helpful and nice — when she’s not tired. She sounds like anyone of us here in this room. But there is a difference. Janet was born with Down syndrome and she deals everyday with an intellectual disabilty. “She can do all those wonderful things I just listed and she accomplishes them all but she needs assistance to do every single one. To make sure she doesn’t get lost, make sure she gets the right change, she needs someone to guide her, help her make good decisions and to make sure she is safe. For Janet and her friends, Continuing on in Education are the helpers.” Murphy said this year’s theme, Local Love, is a perfect fit for the United Way. “It’s United Way for 60 years, putting back into the community 100 per cent of your donations that are helping those most vulnerable,” she said. “So, it’s a great theme this year and great for 60 years.” Murphy said local businesses and organizations are already planning events to raise funds for the campaign. “Yesterday we were at Union Gas, they were holding a big barbecue and at the end of September there is a Community Day at 8 Wing — we’ve got six or eight activities happening at 8 Wing, Proctor and Gamble and the City of Belleville,” she explained. “We’ve got about $400,000 worth of programs we support in Prince Edward County, but we have to increase our presence there a little more. “We’ll do our major fundraiser in the fall, which is Bootlegger Bash, the diamond edition, it’s a throwback to prohibition days in Belleville and along the Moira River.” Murphy said payroll deductions still account for approximately 70 per cent of the contributions. “That’s donations by employees, but many companies like GH Manufacturing, Proctor and Gamble, McDougall Insurance — there are so many that match employee donation and that’s the corporate gift, so workplace campaign is the bread and butter. It could be $5 a week or $100 a month as a Leader and that is matched by the Maurice Rollins Leadership Challenge , so a donation of $1,200 (a year) magically becomes $2,400.” bbell@postmedia.com